For clarity, bees experience an urge to load up on honey and ventillate the hive when they sense smoke (prepare to flee and avoid death from poor quality air). This is why the smoke calms them, even if disruption is happening like what might happen in a serious crisis.
When bees sense danger, they release an alarm pheromone called isopentyl acetate from a gland near their stingers. This chemical wafts through the air and alerts other bees to be ready to attack. Smoking a beehive masks this pheromone, allowing the beekeeper to safely perform a hive inspection.
It's also a common compound released by fruit and fermented drinks, which is why there is a common wisdom saying that you should not go near a beehive if you have eaten or handled a banana recently.
Super bizarre to experience the first time handling a hive. Smells like banana flavored runts and then suddenly the little girls are bouncing off your face screen
My grandpa always bought refrigerated Bud Light cases and kept them in a closet and then re-refrigerated them and it always tasted or smelled like bananas. I guess that explains why… never would I have thought this
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u/Beard_of_Valor 9d ago
For clarity, bees experience an urge to load up on honey and ventillate the hive when they sense smoke (prepare to flee and avoid death from poor quality air). This is why the smoke calms them, even if disruption is happening like what might happen in a serious crisis.